Brian RumaoJanuary 11, 2026
HAPPINESS. — A butterfly, which when pursued, seems always just beyond your grasp; but if you sit down quietly, may alight upon you.
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Our brains are not wired for the constant stream of dopamine rushes we experience every day. Compounded with a relentless sense of anxiety, and the social pressure to always be doing more, this all overwhelms our minds and creates unnecessary suffering. For this reason I spent the last few days at a meditation retreat amongst the redwoods in Scotts Valley, facilitated by the venerable Jon Kabat-Zinn and his son, Will Kabat-Zinn, and hosted by Wisdom 2.0 (thank you, Soren, for the invitation).
We spent most of the time in various forms of silent meditation — sitting, walking, laying, standing. We practiced yoga, received wisdom from our teachers, savored delicious food in silence, and enjoyed the beautiful scenery at 1440 Multiversity. I had no idea what to expect going in; in that sense, I held a true beginner’s mind. I like to believe it served me well. Not-knowing can be better than knowing.
Jon and Will are engaging, wise, spiritual leaders. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to receive their guidance, and will be processing the experience for some time. With that in mind, over the next few days I’ll share some insights and reflections:
- What I learned about meditation
- What I learned from the mother tree
- What I learned about parenting
- What I experienced in silence
- What I aspire to practice going forward
As we departed the final session today, Jon encouraged us to be on the lookout for our first test in the real world — when things don’t go the way we planned, how do we respond? With grace and mindfulness? I type this as I sit on a Southwest flight back home, delayed for over an hour, sitting on the tarmac, as the San Diego airport goes through emergency repairs. My test. I remember Jon’s oft-repeated mantra: “Nowhere to go, nothing to do.” Just sit. That much, now I can do.